Shelving unit and fastenings therefor



July 1957 I. J. FERDINAND ET AL 3,332,374

SHELVING UNIT AND FASTENINGS THEREFOR Filed April 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. IRWIN J. FERDINAND DALE R. LOPATKA HA RBAUG'H VAND- THOMAS! I y 1967 I. J. FERDINAND ET AL 3,332,374

SHELVING UNIT AND FASTENINGS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1966 GE i L qNQL WW D m-NW v OQ- mm TM: \mmr g nxms H 92 2 2 mm) vQ v 5 2 INVENTORS. IRWIN J. FERDINAND DALE R. LOPATKA JL /JW HARBAUGH AND moms. 0

United States Patent 3,332,374 SHELVING UNIT AND FASTENINGS THEREFOR Irwin J. Ferdinand, Glencoe, and Dale R. Lopatka, Glenview, 11]., assignors to S. A. Hirsh Mfg. Co., Skokie, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 544,961 8 Claims. (Cl. 108-107) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A securing mechanism in knockdown steel shelving holding the end of a box flange on a shelf rigidly against a corner post in which a bolt extending into the box flange has its head received in a keyed opening in the post and i drawn tight by a trunnion and knurled nut assembly on the bolt exposed laterally for manipulation through opposed openings in the side Walls of the box flange.

This invention relates to general utility storage steel shelving units of the type utilizing frame structure of corner posts, and cross-braces, supporting a plurality of horizontally disposed shelves which are adjustably secured thereto by novel fastening means. More particularly, this invention provides an easily assembled and adjustable steel shelving unit wherein the shelves are fastened at their corners to the vertical corner posts and braces are secured between front and back corner posts by finger actuated fastening means which not only are readily installed for ease of assembly but rigidly hold the posts in squared and balanced relationship.

The shelves of this invention are of the general type described in the following co-pending applications:

Ser. No. 362,150, filed Apr. 23, 1964, now US. Patent No. 3,276,403, and Ser. No. 499,203, filed Oct. 21, 1965, reference to which is hereby made for the disclosure of the rectangular shelves having side and end flanges made of prestruck sheet metal blank rolled in one piece wherein transverse and longitudinal compound flanges of plural thickness are featured. The shelves are strengthened and rigidified by marginally rolled full box-type flanges on at least two side edges which include co-extensive longitudinal vertically spaced internal or external ribs for reinforcement. The corners of the shelves are notched or cut-away to expose the ends of the flanges and also constructed and arranged to receive the fastening means of the instant invention for quick finger assembly with the corner posts to provide an improved unitized shelving arrangement that is readily set up for use or dismantled for transportation and storage.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a shelving unit of the character described wherein readily accessible fastening means, whose operation is readily understood by inspection, cooperate with the corner posts at the notched corners of the shelves and produce a strong and rigid joint which is easily assembled and dismantled by finger action with or without a screw driver.

Another object of this invention is to provide a roll pin nut or sleeve securement between the corner posts and brace members to form a unitized frame structure which serves either as an end or intermediate vertical support upon which one or more shelves can be readily installed, or once installed can be moved to various levels thereon without the necessity of moving or detaching the brace members or disturbing other shelves.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for the attachment of box-flange shelves to corner posts, without the necessity of employing any tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fastening unit for knockdown shelving comprising a bolt member whose head is releasably received within a box-type corner post, a guide member, a trunnion, and a finger tightened nut member carried by and disposed within a double flange box-type shelf flange as located adjacent to a corner post to form a rigid joint.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fastening unit for use with split rear walls of spaced box-type cor-ner posts and cross-braces therebetween which places both the split rear wall and front wall cellectively of each post under facewise compression with the ends of a cross-brace without distorting said walls and thereby with the fastening unit providing a laterally squaring rigidifying relation as well as a vertical squaring relation between each corner post and cross-brace.

These and other objects of this invention will be described or become apparent as the specification proceeds.

The embodiments illustrating this invention but not limiting same are shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of knockdown steel shelving embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view in partial cutaway illustrating one mode of attachment of a corner post to a cross-brace;

FIG. 2A is an end view of one form of box-type horizontal member with a roll pin nut therein;

FIG. 2B is a perspective end view of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of a roll pin nut;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken talong lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cutout corner of a box-type shelf modified to be used in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a quick-fastening unit to be used in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary end view of the cut-out corner of a box-type shelf with a quick-fastening unit in position therein; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary partial cut-away side view of the corner fastening device and shelf of FIG. 7 with a corner post attached thereto.

Referring to the drawings wherein like parts bear like numbers, in FIG. 1 a shelving unit construction is shown 7 comprising box-type corner posts 10, cross members or braces 12 and box-flange shelves 14. The cross brace securement is sturdy, easily assembled, requiring only a screw driver and once these sub-assemblies confining two corner posts and cross-braces. are completed, the shelves 14 can be located or relocated at various elevations and rigidly secured thereto without the need of any tools. FIG. 2 shows a fragmentary perspective view of a box-type horizontal member 12 as it is fastened at each of its ends between the split rear walls of spaced corner posts. Such a corner post 10 is of the box type having side walls 16 and 18, front wall 20 and split rear Wall 22. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the front wall 20 has a series of spaced apertures 24 therein and rear split wall 22 has a series of similar smaller apertures 26 therein, same being axially aligned with apertures 24. Rear wall 22 has pairs of spaced slots 23 and 30 therethrough and extending across longitudinal slot 32 of wall 22. Side walls 16 and 18 of corner post 10 have a series of axially aligned spaced apertures 34 and 36, each having opposed vertically aligned lobes as illustrated at 38 and 40 in aperture 34 and 42 and 44 in aperture 36, to form double keyhole openings, the functions of which will be described.

7 Apertures 34 and 36 are placed at those positions or levels on corner post 10 where it is desired to fasten a shelf 14, while axially aligned apertures 24 and 26 arearrangements comewithin the scope of this invention to include but not being limited to intermediate position between shelves 14. Generally the rear walls 22 of the corner posts on one side of the unit face inwardly i.e. the front posts have the split wall 22 on the back and the rear posts have the split wall 22 on the front side, although the invention is not to be so limited.

Still referring to FIG. 2 and also FIGS. 2-A, Z-B and 4, box-type horizontal member 12 has side wall 46, top wall 48, back wall 50 and an over-lapping bottom wall 52 and 54-, formed in one rolled box construction. Top wall 48 preferably is extended to form ear member 56 while over-lapping bottom walls 52 and 54 are extended to form contiguous ear members 58 and 60. The leading edges of walls 46 and 50 are off-set at 62 and 64 to allow square abutment of the end of member 12 with the split side 22 of corner post 10. Two vertically spaced securements at each end can be employed to hold the ends of the member 12 rigidly against thecorner post Without car members and slots 28 and 30. One securement is shown representative of both in which a roll pin having aperture 68 and radially expansible sections on opposite sides or longitudinal split 70. Roll pin nut 66 is made of hardened spring steel and with the sections compressed it is press fitted through apertures 72 (Wall46) and 74 (wall 50). The ends extend slightly beyond each outer wall surface with aperture 68 on the side thereof toward the open end of member 12 and. slit 70 on the inside part thereof. This construction and press fitting brings wall 54 against the inside surface of wall 46 to form a strong box construction within which aperture 68 is permanently oriented for securement in working position as aligned with the open end of member 12.

Sheet metal screw 80 having head 82 function to hold post and member 12 rigidly to one another, same having head 84, cylindrical shank 86 with shoulder 88, and reduced threaded portion 90 passing through apertures 24 and 26 of corner post 10 into the open end of member 12, through aperture 68 of roll pin nut 66 and engaging and spreading slit 70, as shown at 02. Slot 94 or similar means for turning screw 80 tightly into engagement are provided. It is to be observed that shank 86 fits snugly within aperture 24 of wall with shoulder 96 of head 84 against wall 20, while shoulder 88 thereof abuts against the periphery of aperture 26 in wall 22. Shank 86 has a length equaling the on-center spacing of front and rear walls 20 and 22 and provides two shoulders 88 and 96 facing the same direction and spaced the same as the front and rear walls 20 and 22. By these means the braces 12 can be drawn tightly against the corner posts 10 as shown in FIG. 1 with the reaction forces thereof distributed to both walls 20 and 22 without danger of disturbing either one separately or with respect to each other.

In FIG. 5, the shelf 14 has single-walled end flange 100 with in-turned edge 102, a similar flange being pro vided at the other end (not shown) of the shelf 14, and a front double-walled flange 104 and a similar doublewalled flange (not shown) is provided at the back edge of shelf 14. The flanges 104 are rolled from one piece in such a manner as to provide a raised top wall 106, downwardly depending outer side wall 108, having longitudinal substantially parallel reinforcing creases 110 and 112, bottom wall 114, inner or back wall 116, also having longitudinal substantially parallel reinforcing creases 118 and 120 and a reinforcing turned in lip or fold 122 which is contiguous with and formed flat against top wall 106. The size and shape of flanges 100 and 104 in relation to the length and width of shelf 14 are adjusted to form a shelf of proportioned dimensions and pleasing appearance. Back wall 116 has an opening 124, preferably of rectangular configuration, cut therethrough and front wall 108 has a corresponding opening 126, axially aligned therewith. The top and bottom edges, 128 and 130 of opening 126 are cut through wall 108 above and below, respectively, horizontal creases and 112, and the top and bottom edges 132 and 134 (shown in dotted lines) are cut through wall 116 above and below respectively, horizontal creases and 118, in the embodiment shown. These top and bottom edges 128, and 132 and 134 can also be cut within the respective creases or inside same, that is, edges 128 may be out below crease 110 and edge 130 may be cut above crease 112. Optional medial offsets 136 and 138 may also be provided to aid in the installation of the securing means to be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the corner of shelf 14 is cut out to form a right-angle notch defined by edges 140-142 in wall 100 and shelf 14, edge 144 of walls 106 and 122 and lower edges 146, 148 and 150 of walls 116, 108 and 114 respectively. This corner cut may include in-turned edge 102. This corner cut is made so that the flange 100 and 108 terminate in straight edges which are perpendicular to the planes of their surfaces.

Referring to FIG. 6 the securing means to hold a corner post within the square-corner notch of the shelf 14 is shown to comprise a shank 152, having head 1S4, fiat inside shoulder 156, and a threaded cylindrical portion extending to the end thereof. Knurled finger nut 162, having flat inner surface 163 engages threads 160. The shank 152 has a guide member 164 spot welded thereto, as at 165, at a point spaced from head 154. The guide member 164 has fiat ends 166 and 168 which are substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of shank 1'52 and, when disposed in the flange 104 functions to center shank or bolt 152, prevents its rotation and assists in weight supporting the shelf 14 with respect to the bolt and double wall 106-122 in a manner to be described.

Between guide member 164 and cylindrical externally knurled nut 162 is a trunnion 170 having oppositely facing outwardly curved edges 172 and 174, a pair of outwardly facing notches or shoulders 176-178 and 180-182 on opposite ends of curved portions 172 and 174, from which extend ears 184 and 186. Trunnion 170 is stamped from sheet metal and is essentially flat so that it provides a thrust bearing surface for nut 162, and has a center hole or bearing surface 188 bounded by annular flange 190, which also acts as a centering support for shank 160 of non-rotatable bolt 152. Shank portion 160 is threaded from its end all the way to guide member 164 so that fiat inner surface 163 of nut 162 can be drawn flush against the flat trunnion surface.

The double-walled box flange 104- of each shelf 14 has at each end thereof a notched corner as shown in FIG. 5 and each of said notched corners, two facing or opening one direction and two facing or opening the opposite direction, has a securing means, as shown in FIG. 6, located therein. The relationship of parts with a securing means in operative position is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Referring to FIG. 7 there is shown an end view of box flange 104 with the securing means shown in FIG. 6 placed therein. In assembling the securing means into a shelf corner, the trunnion 170 is canted diagonally to the opening 126 and slipped into place with the ears 184 and 186 between walls 108 and 116 and spaced from walls 106 and 114, with flange 190 facing toward the open end of the box flange 104. In one embodiment of this invention one of the openings i.e. 124 is made of lesser height than the other and a corresponding change in dimensions is made between notches 176 and 180, so that flange 190 faces away from surface 163. Since the shoulders or notches fit against the top edge 128 and bottom edge 130 of opening 126, placement of trunnion 170 therebetween is possible only when flange 190 faces outwardly. Once the trunnion 170 is in place the notches 176 and 178 fit or wedge against edges 128 and 134 and notches 180 and 182 fit or wedge against edges 130 and 132. Trunnion 170 is then moved toward the open end of the box flange and nut 162 is placed within openings 124-126 with its surface 163 against the flat, back surface of trunnion 170. By making opening 126 larger in height than opening 124 placement of the nut 162 through opening 126 is facilitated and same rests initially against the horizontal edges 132 and 134 of smaller openings 124. Bolt 152 is then inserted and nut 162 is machined turned to draw the bolt into its working position for knock down shipment. The nut 162 is thereafter turned manually to assemble and dismantle the shelving.

In FIG. 7, it is seen that notches 176 and 180 engage the upper and lower edges of opening 126 in wall 108 of box flange 104 and a similar engagement of notches 178 and 132 against edges 134 and 132 takes place; and at the same time guide 164 has its flat ends 166 and 168 against the top wall 122 and bottom 114. The securing means can be assembled with guide 164 on either side of bolt 152.

Heat 154 of bolt 152 protrudes far enough beyond the end of box flange 104 to be attached to a corner post (FIG. 8). To assemble the head 154 is merely inserted into a double keyhole opening 34 or 36 of a corner post, bolt 152 is moved into weight-supporting relationship a lobe i.e. 44 and the bolt is tightened by turning knurled nut 162 with the fingers until post 10 is drawn tightly into the notched corner of shelf 14 with wall 16 tightly against the square end of box flange 104 and wall 22 tight againstedge 140 of flange 100. In FIG. 8, offset 148 is continued further into wall 108 as at 192 to form an abutting edge similar to the end of brace 12 (FIG. 2-B). When assembled and tightened nut 162 transmits the weight supporting relationship to the shelf flange 104 and surface 163 is against the flat trunnion surface 176 and head 154 is drawn against the inside Wall 16, producing a four-way interlocked joint. It is obvious that when the braces 12 are used they must first be assembled be tween pairs of corner posts before the shelves 14 are placed therebetween.

In one embodiment of this invention the securing means can be used Without trunnion 170 since nut 162 is of sufficient diameter to impinge its surface 163 against the vertical edge i.e. at 194, of opening 126 and the corresponding edge of opening 124. Guide means 164 is required where the keyed hole 36 is blind, that is, there is no axially aligned hole, such as 34 in the opposite wall of the corner post, so that the bolt 152 will not rotate when the nut 162 is turned with the fingers. In the simplest embodiment, guide means 164 need have only one transverse member which would be suflicient to keep bolt 152 from rotating once the guide is inside the box flange 104. Also guide member 164 need not orient itself vertically between walls 122 and 114 as shown in FIG. 7 and may be slightly longer than shown so that it cants itself as a diagonal between the rectangular cross-section of box flange 104.

It will be appreciated that very often it will be desirable to relocate one or more of the shelves while the remaining shelving remains intact. Notches 155 are provided in the edge 146 on the inner wall 116 of the box flange of a size to accommodate the head 154 of the bolt 152 within the box flange. Thereby, when the finger nuts 162 are loosened and the shelf raised slightly so that the bolt heads 154 clear the apertures 34 and 36, the nuts 162 are again rotated in a tightening direction to draw the head 154 within the box flanges whereupon the shelf being free of restraint can be tilted free of the corner posts 10 and relocated. Whereupon the nuts are turned in the untightening direction to drive the heads 156 back through the new apertures, the shelf pushed down to relocate the bolts in the lower lobes thereof, and the nuts again tightened.

Having thus described the invention, the only limitations attaching thereof appear in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A securing mechanism adapted to function within a first box-flanged member having opposed slotted sides to hold same endwise against a side of a second boxflanged member having a key hole opening therein comprising a bolt having an elongated threaded shank and a head at one end of said shank engageable With said key hole, a flat trunnion member slidably engaging said shank and having divergent convex transverse edges adapted to engage the opposed slotted sides of said first box-flanged member, a transverse elongated guide member attached at one end to said shank and spaced from said head, said guide member having an extended end slidably engageable with an inside top and bottom wall of said first box-flanged member, and a nut engaging said threaded portion, said nut adapted to extend in rotatable relationship between and within said slotted sides of said first box-flanged member and registrable against said trunnion member.

2. A securing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which said guide member is attached intermediate its ends to said shank and the extended ends thereof are slidably engageable with the opposed inside top and bottom walls of said first box-flanged member.

3. A securing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which said trunnion has divergent ear members forming shoulders at the point of convergence with said convex edges adapted to wedge between the edges of said opposed slots and said nut has a cylindrical body portion of a diameter greater than height and spacing of the opposed slotted sides of said first box-flanged member.

4. In a knockdown steel shelf assembly the combination of:

(a) an elongated corner post having a keyed opening in a side wall thereof,

(b) a shelf member having a box flange end, the four walls of which open terminally toward said keyed opening,

(c) opposed openings in the side walls of said box flange having straight edges on the side toward and spaced from said terminal opening,

((1) a threaded bolt longitudinally disposed between the walls of said box flange and extending within said keyed opening,

(e) a head on said bolt engaging said keyed opening of said corner post,

(f) a cylindrical nut engaging said threaded bolt and disposed between said opposed openings in the side walls of said box flange, said nut having a face engageable with the straight edges of said opposed open- (g) a trunnion member disposed between said opposed openings in the side walls of said box flange slidably carrying said bolt, said trunnion member having notched edges engaging the edges of said opposed openings and adapted to bear against said straight edges of said opposed openings under pressure of said nut.

5. A knockdown steel shelf assembly in accordance with claim 4 in which a transverse elongated guide member is attached intermediate its ends to said bolt between said nut and said head thereof, the extended ends of said guide member slidably engaging the top and bottom inside walls of said box flange.

6. A knockdown steel shelf assembly in accordance with claim 4 in which said corner post is of box-type con struction and has a pair of axially aligned holes through opposite walls thereof, a box-type brace member abutting against said corner post with the terminal open end thereof around one of said holes, a roll pin nut mounted transversely through the side walls of said brace and spaced from the terminal open end thereof, an aperture in the side of said roll pin nut axially aligned with said holes in the walls of said corner post, a screw extending through said axially aligned holes engaging said aperture in said roll pin nut, the head on said screw engaging a wall of said corner post.

7. A knockdown steel shelf assembly in accordance with claim 6 in which the hole in the wall of said corner post adjacent said terminal opening of said brace member is smaller than the opposing hole in the opposite Wall thereof, said screw had a cylindrical shank between its head and threaded end and said screw provides a shoulder at said head bearing against the periphery of said 0pposing hole and said shank provides a shoulder bearing against the periphery of said smaller hole.

8. A knockdown steel shelf assembly in accordance with claim 6 in which said roll pin nut is press fitted between and through axially aligned apertures with side walls of said box-type brace member and has a longitudinal split on the side opposite said aperture in the body thereof adapted to be engaged and spread by the threaded end of said screw and thereby tightened Within said apertures in said brace member, and said box-type brace member has longitudinally extending ears in the top and bottom walls thereof extending into and engaging spaced slots in the abutting wall of said corner post.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

FRANCIS Kt ZUGEL, Examiner. 

1. A SECURING MECHANISM ADAPTED TO FUNCTION WITHIN A FIRST BOX-FLANGED MEMBER HAVING OPPOSED SLOTTED SIDES TO HOLD SAME ENDWISE AGAINST A SIDE OF A SECOND BOXFLANGED MEMBERR HAVING A KEY HOLE OPENING THEREIN COMPRISING A BOLT HAVING AN ELONGATED THREADED SHANK AND A HEAD AT ONE END OF SAID SHANK ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID KEY HOLE, A FLAT TRUNNION MEMBER SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID SHANK AND HAVING DIVERGENT CONVEX TRANSVERSE EDGES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OPPOSED SLOTTED SIDES OF SAID FIRST BOX-FLANGED MEMBER, A TRANSVERSE ELONGATED GUIDE MEMBER ATTACHED AT ONE END TO SAID SHANK AND SPACED FROM SAID HEAD, SAID GUIDE MEMBER HAVING AN EXTENDED END SLIDABLY ENGAGEABLE WITH AN INSIDE TOP AND BOTTOM WALL OF SAID FIRST BOX-FLANGED MEMBER, AND A NUT ENGAGING SAID THREADED PORTION, SAID NUT ADAPTED TO EXTEND IN ROTATABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AND WITHIN SAID SLOTTED SIDES OF SAID FIRST BOX-FLANGED MEMBER AND REGISTRABLE AGAINST SAID TRUNNION MEMBER. 